


Running From It All

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, F/F, M/M, Physical Abuse, Runners, Slow Build, eren is just an idiot, i needed more tags so here, kenny is an asshole, levi is super sensitive, yay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 03:05:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3675072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At Trost High School, Eren is the star cross country runner, and Levi is a scary junior with only a few friends. Not realizing it, they're actually very similar, from their problems at home to their sexual orientation.<br/>As they both get pushed over the edge by their father-figures, they seek comfort in each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. School Policy

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, another Ereri! I was working on a Shuuneki but then this idea came to me and I had to write it.  
> There's physical abuse in this, and some parts are about needles/injections, so please be wary.  
> I'll be finishing the Shuuneki soon, and adding chapters of that too.  
> (By the way, this will have a lot of mistakes, because I was too excited to post it!)

Eren loved running. When he was little, he did it for fun, getting rid of his energy by chasing around his little sister Mikasa. As he grew, he began to run as a form of exercise, to keep him in shape. Now, in his sophomore year of high school, running was an activity he despised.  
It was his fifth lap on the track, and he couldn't even feel the usual beginning of exhaustion. Coach Erwin was screaming at some of the girls falling behind, like Sasha and Historia, who enjoyed talking and jogging, which tired them quickly.  
Eren could feel his lungs heaving for air, but his body didn't react with pain or weariness. Instead, it kept going, propelling him forward. Eren made it his mission to see how far he could go until the drugs couldn't protect him anymore from fatigue. The balls of his feet hit the track first, followed by his toes digging in to get traction. His legs flung him forward with unmatchable power. Besides the enhancements, this was the reason Eren ended up first in every long-distance race. His body could go fast, while withstanding the exertion.  
They stopped the run on the tenth circuit. Coach Erwin placed a firm hand on Eren's shoulder, as they turned to watch the other kids slowly complete the laps.  
Annie finished second, and put her hands on her knees and gave a couple of exaggerated breaths. She shot Eren a nasty look, mad she couldn't beat him. Following her was Jean, Connie, and Reiner. Connie stopped as soon as he could without Erwin yelling at him, and collapsed.  
Jean attempted to pick him up, knowing that would only create more soreness. Sasha, Historia, and Bertolt came in last, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The girls high-fived each other and gave their teammates toothy smiles.  
"Good job, guys. Let's wrap up with some stretches," Erwin said in his booming voice. Eren was sure the football players could hear him from their practice in the middle of the field.  
Sasha squealed with delight, walking over to Connie and starting on some calve stretches. Everyone else broke off into groups, chatting about the meet tomorrow and how tiring the day's practice was.  
Erwin came up behind Eren, who had begun with lunges, with a chuckle. "I'm gonna have to check you for enhancements again, Jeager. You're setting new records every day."  
Eren laughed, a little nervously. "Again?"  
"School policy."  
Eren nodded, biting his lip and touching his toes to loosen his legs. His dad assured him that the drugs would never show up on a screening, but every time Erwin said this, it made him uncomfortable. He wouldn't use them if it weren't for his dad, who was living through his son and was convinced Eren needed to fulfill his dream of going to the olympics.  
After finishing up, Eren took a cup from his Coach and shamefully walked to the boy's bathroom. He tensed up when he heard Jean and Marco's laughter coming from the field house, which had bathrooms inside.  
"Excuse me," he said, ignoring the glare Jean was shooting at him. The boy with two-toned hair grabbed his arm, eyeing the pee cup. Eren flinched, holding his breath and waiting for a brash comment.  
"Jean, leave him alone," Marco exclaimed, hitting him with his football helmet. Jean growled, exhaled, and eventually complied.  
Eren sighed with relief, escaping from his grip and scurrying off the the toilet. He just wanted to get this over with, because it was the second test this month, and this was only the start of the season. Erwin, as well as anyone who'd seen Eren run, was always suspicious.  
Eren tried to ignore their accusations, knowing he couldn't stop his dad, who used forceful injections to make his son the runner he'd hoped to be. He grimaced and rubbed his upper arm, where a needle pierced his skin every week. He wore shirts that covered up the marks, but he honestly didn't know what else he could do to keep quiet. He was at a breaking point. This had been going on since cross country season in his freshman year.  
Eren let out an quiet hiss when he saw someone standing over the sink, with their eyes fixated on the faucet like it was the eighth wonder of the world. He had a sullen look across his face, and the way his tiny body was positioned told Eren to get the fuck out.  
Eren locked his gaze on the laces of his sneakers, almost tip-toeing into the stall, not wanting this stranger to see him pee into a cup. He did his business quickly and tried to escape the cramped bathroom.  
"Fuckin' disgusting."  
"Huh?" Eren pivoted as soon as he heard the other boy talk. The guy looked up with judging eyes.  
"You're not gonna wash your hands?" he asked in a taunting tone, letting his death grip on the sink go, and crossing his arms. He had dark hair, and Eren knew he had seen him around before. He was a goth junior that only had two people brave enough to talk to him. Levi? Yeah, that was his name. Realizing this made Eren's stomach flip.  
"I- er, I just- I. Um," the runner stuttered, his tongue suddenly becoming useless.  
"I'm not gonna bite," Levi said, cocking an eyebrow and giving off an aura that said the opposite. Eren pressed his lips together and looked down at the cup of piss in his hand. He looked back up at the junior, like a deer in the headlights.  
"Well, uh," was all he could muster, before turning around and speed walking out of the bathroom. He finally let go of a breath when reached Coach Erwin.  
"That took long enough, Jeager," The coach took the cup and gave a smile, trying to hide the fact he didn't want to bring a cup of pee to the nurses again. "You're dismissed."  
Eren thanked him and grabbed his bag, not bothering to change in the locker rooms, since he was going to run home anyways. 

Levi snickered as the sophomore ran away, with horror written all over his face. If the cross country runners were out of practice, it seemed it was time to finally go home and face what he'd been dreading.  
He sighed, leaving the safety of the school behind him and heading to the campus's exit. He caught the same green shorts that made their appearance in bathroom jogging in front of him. He knew that boy's name, because he'd been watching him since he first came to Trost High School, but refused to admit he liked him. Levi decided to go the long way, prolonging the sight of Uncle Kenny, as well as avoiding the boy he frightened.  
His uncle was probably mad already because Levi was late, so a few more minutes wouldn't hurt.  
"Jesus, Levi. I was worried sick," Kenny yelled when the door squeaked open. Levi dropped his bag and ignored the man calling to him.  
Worried that you might have lost your punching bag, Levi thought, with fear bottoming in his stomach. Footsteps got closer. The boy prayed for a sober man.  
Thank God. Kenny wasn't drunk yet, but he still had a nasty look on his face as he greeted his nephew. He slapped Levi's back, making him wince. "Do your homework, kid. I'm going out with friends."  
The highschooler dipped his head in affirmation. Kenny clicked his tongue to the back of his teeth. "Atta' boy."  
Once Levi heard the door behind him slam closer, he let go of deep breath. He always put on a scary face at school, so he seemed strong and unapproachable, but he was constantly on edge. This came as a result of being beaten senseless by a man with dominance over him. He couldn't fight back or the bruises would end up being worse than they usually were. It left his brain unsettled, apprehending his uncle's every move, willing him to be sober when he came home from a day at school.  
Levi ran to the room he hated, yet loved so much and completed his homework in record time. Something about running into Eren made him feel a little more confident. Playing with people he had authority over, as an upperclassmen, gave him strength, but doing it with Eren made him happy as well.  
He knew he was fucked up, but he blamed it on his uncle.  
After schoolwork and a microwavable dinner, Levi found himself napping. He had dreams of Eren's ass in his running shorts and--  
"Wake the fuck up."  
Levi's heart thudded when the words reached him. He broke out in a cold sweat, and squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to go back to his dream.  
"Wake up, you piece of shit. I said, wake up!" Levi's cover was torn off him and he somehow ended up on the wooden floor. His shoulder took most of the fall, and he knew it'd be stiff tomorrow. He felt a hand on his shirt's collar and bourbon breath next to his face. He finally opened his eyes.  
As if his consciousness was a indication it was "okay" to hit him, Kenny's fist connected with his stomach. His uncle's lips were twisted up in a depraved grin. He hauled Levi up to meet his face.  
"So, I was talkin' with my buddies," he began. Two more punches to Levi's abdomen. "And they were tellin' me how their sons 'ave girlfriends." Levi's back hits the wall, and Kenny took his frail shoulders in his big hands. "Why don't ya have a girlfriend, Levi? Huh? Maybe you wouldn't be so worthless then, eh?" When Kenny's knee met with his nephew's stomach, Levi doubled over, gagging. Apparently, Kenny wanted to work on scrambling his insides today.  
He just hoped he'd be done soon, because he couldn't take this right now. He was at a breaking point. He and Eren both.  
Levi swallowed hard when Kenny raised a fist towards his head. "I don't think I could get a girlfriend if you ruined my face," he said, in almost a whisper.  
"Ohoho," Kenny gave a little snarl. He was an animal when he was intoxicated. Maybe he shouldn't have prompted him further. "So you finally decide to talk, eh?"


	2. Princess Hold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren find themselves growing closer as their antics continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting this more frequently than my shuuneki, since ereri is so much easier to write/edit. Speaking of editing, there are probably mistakes, so I just wanted to warn you.  
> Also, needles are used and if you aren't into that kinda stuff, I'd say skip over Eren's flashback in the second paragraph.

Eren's feet hit the wet turf and kicked up water behind him. He watched the sun come up from behind the skyline, as he sprinted his eighth lap. His body longed for an ache; anything reminiscent of pain. He just wanted to feel tired again, and not like a super human.   
He shivered, and not because of the chilled drops making their way down his body, but because he kept getting flashbacks of this morning. His dad had woken him up with a friendly smile, but there were traces of bad intentions flickering in his eyes. He held down Eren's arm and nodded, like everything was fine. Eren clenched his teeth and turned his head away from the syringe, knowing it was useless to struggle. Mikasa would only be bombarding him with questions if he screamed and woke her up at five in the morning, anyways.   
The prick of the needle in his upper arm felt nauseatingly familiar. His dad's sweaty palms holding him down was something he was slowly growing accustomed to. He didn't dare tell anyone, because he knew his dad was a good person, and just trying to accomplish his dreams through someone else.   
Eren always wondered how his dad ended up as a doctor, instead of the olympic runner he wanted to become. He never talked about it, ignoring anything that wasn't simple small talk.   
"You'll need another one next week," his dad said, letting go of Eren's arm and grinning proudly. "Go ace this meet for me!"   
Eren's heart dropped. Hearing that hopeful tone in his dad's voice was another reason he couldn't tell Mikasa or his friends. He just wanted his dad to be happy. So Eren nodded, and watched his dad shuffle out of the bedroom.  
That's how he ended up on his school's track, running laps in the pouring rain until his mind began screaming for him to stop. He knew his body couldn't take much more, but that fact he couldn't _feel_ the exhaustion kept him going. He didn't even realize he fell until the cold rain that had pooled on the ground met with his cheek. For a second, he panted with pleasure, his lungs burning in an old sensation. In time, his body gave in to the burnout and he lost consciousness.

///

Levi had woken up with a black eye and yellow bruises along his jaw. His lip was split and hurt like hell, and his shoulder was aching from the fall. It was still very early, so he changed and left the house silently, not wanting to wake a hung-over Kenny and get anymore hurt.   
He ended up walking towards the field house again. He felt safest there. The way the lights were dimmed so much that you could barely see your feet in the morning gave him a comfortable feeling. He was about to close his umbrella and step inside when he heard splashing footsteps on the track. Someone else was there.  
Levi moved around the field house and towards the track, just in time to see Eren collapse. He gasped, jogging to the limp body, careful so he wouldn't slip on the slick ground. He held his umbrella over the sophomore's body, waiting for any signs of consciousness.   
"Are you okay?" he asked, just to make sure. He didn't want to pick him up if he didn't need to. "God damnit."  
Levi rolled his eyes, folded his umbrella, and slipped one hand under Eren's knees and the other under his shoulders. He heaved, pulling him up with all his strength, grimacing as his hurt arm almost buckled under the weight.  He carried him to the safety of the field house, his weak frame barely supporting Eren's muscly build.   
"There…we…go," he wheezed, when he finally laid the sophomore down on a bench inside the boy's locker room. He knew the coach would be coming soon, so he just planned to wait. But something about the sleeping boy made Levi want to touch him. He convinced himself otherwise, and just found a clean towel to dry his hair.   
He watched the delicate expansion of Eren’s ribcage each time he inhaled. Levi had heard a meet was today, so he wondered if the sophomore had tried to get extra practice in. But, he had also heard that Eren was one of the best runners this school had ever seen, which probably meant he didn't need anymore training.  
"What the hell’s wrong with y--," Levi raised a hand to brush back some of Eren's dark brown bangs when someone cleared their throat behind him.  
"I hope you're not doing anything inappropriate, Mr. Ackerman," Erwin said, his voice low and angry. Levi turned and locked eyes with him for a couple seconds before pulling his hand away from the runner's face.  
"Of course not. Um, he collapsed while running," Levi explained, getting off the bench and stepping away. The coach's stale face went slack, until it tightened up again and he took quick strides towards the bench.   
Erwin checked Eren's pulse, his eyes scanning the boy's body for any injuries. "His pulse is steady now, so if it was exhaustion, he should come to soon. Go find some water for him, Ackerman."   
Levi gave a curt nod and obeyed, snaking his way through the basement hallways, where the boy's locker rooms were, and up to the nearest fountain. He dug through his backpack and found an empty water bottle, and, hoping Eren wouldn't mind, he filled it with the metallic liquid from the water fountain.   
When he finally made it to the locker rooms, Eren was sitting up, his forehead resting in the heels of his hands. Erwin had his arms crossed, towering over the sophomore with a scary glare.   
"Here," Levi barked, setting the bottle next to Eren and awkwardly grabbing his umbrella. He wanted to turn around quick enough so that the runner didn't see who helped him, but it didn't work. Eren's throat let out a whimper, after he raised his head and saw Levi.   
"What are you doing here?" he murmured, almost scared.   
"He found you. After you overworked yourself," Erwin explained, his words enough to make Eren feel guilty again. "That was stupid, Jeager, and you know it. You could have gotten seriously hurt. And now you have to sit out of the first meet of the season."  
"Please, Coach, let me run today," Eren begged, his green eyes widening in a puppy dog look.   
Levi had heard enough, and started to walk again. He thought Erwin might stop him and ask why he was here so early or maybe about the bruises (if he had even noticed them), but he left him alone and continued to condemn his star athlete. The coach wanted Eren to run, so they eventually set terms that if Eren felt up to it, he could.  
"Thank you so much!" Levi could just catch the sophomore's squeal of delight as he trudged up the stairs.   
The rain hadn't let up, evident by the tapping on the roof. Levi found himself in the field house bathroom once again, taking off his gray windbreaker. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, staring in disbelief at the wounds that blotched his skin. He took a deep breath before lifting up his plain black t-shirt. He couldn't convince himself that those were his bruises. Kenny's drunk beatings were getting worse, and he didn't know how long he could hide the marks. Levi dropped his shirt, before he could even gag at the contusions on his stomach.  
He pulled out the bottle of concealer he always kept on hand. He finally had a use for it, since the purple around his eye couldn't be covered by a piece of clothing. He poured a bit too much of the foundation on his index finger, and began dabbing it on the marks. It hurt, but he could bear it.  
When he was finally done, he looked hard at himself in the mirror. The foundation stood out against his pale skin, since he hadn't thought much about the shade when buying it. Levi shrugged, and put the bottle of makeup away.   
He whipped around to the door when he heard a chuckle. Eren, leaning against the doorframe like he hadn't fully recovered yet, was laughing. When their eyes met, it made him laugh harder, and he threw his head back and almost whooped. "I'm sor--," more giggles, "sorry. I just thought you were so, ha, manly."   
Luckily, it didn't seem he'd been there long enough to see Levi's abdomen. Eren eventually calmed down, but the airy smile stayed on his face as he spoke. "I wanted to thank you. But I never thought I'd catch a guy like you putting makeup on."   
He obviously wasn't intentionally being rude, he just didn't think before letting his mouth run.   
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Levi tried to give him the same death glare that scared him shitless yesterday, but it didn't phase him now.   
"This is such a relief, though," Eren let out a happy sigh. Levi was confused.  
"Huh? Relief?" Levi asked. The sophomore's eyes widened, and he cupped his mouth with his hand, which basically told Levi he didn't mean to say it aloud. And that just made him all the more curious. "How is me putting makeup on a relief?"   
Eren realized he'd dug himself a grave and groaned, giving in. "That means you're gay, right?"   
Levi's brows drew together in confusion. He'd only told his friends Isabel and Farlan he liked men, and yet, this boy who barely knew him could tell just because he put makeup on. Suddenly, it hit him. His face relaxed into a smirk.   
"I wouldn't have expected you, of all people, to be gay too," Levi retorted.   
"Wait, how'd you…" Eren's face flushed a deep pink. The lights outside the bathroom flickered behind him as if on cue.  
"You said it was a relief. Plus, it's written all over your face," the junior explained, pursing his lips when he realized how hurt Eren looked.  
"Please, don't tell anyone," he muttered, his eyes pleading.  
"Same goes to you,” Levi scooped his bag off the ground and shouldered Eren as he walked out of the bathroom. He was using violence to cover up his feelings again, and he only regretted it once he was in his first period math class. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for reading this.  
> I lost the next chapter, so I'm rewriting it now and should be out soon. I'll also post the next shuuneki chapter sometime this week.  
> much love!


	3. May I Have This Dance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!  
> this chapter gets REALLY crazy, so I want to warn you. there's some intense abuse at the end that you should be wary of if you're sensitive to that kind of stuff.  
> also, I listened to neptune by sleeping at last when writing levi's POV and it might help to hear it. idk  
> anyways, here we go...

Eren couldn't stop thinking about Levi throughout the day. The scary junior he once thought he was became his Prince Charming within seconds. Plus, _he was gay_. Eren's crotch felt warm every time he saw Levi in the hallways. He willed the day to be over so he could win the meet for his dad and go home to jerk off. 

Everything would have been fine if a strawberry blonde girl hadn't knocked his books out while trying to wave someone down.

"Oh, sorry," she chirped. She bent down and helped Eren collect his American Government textbook. 

"Petra? Where'd you go?" The familiar deep voice made Eren's eyes bulge, as well as something else. He tried to get his stuff together as fast as he could, but Levi and some other boy found Petra too soon. 

The girl flashed a cute smile and handed Eren his textbook. "Er, thanks," he mumbled.

She nodded and latched onto Levi's arm, musing about going out after school. But Levi's attention was fixed on the sophomore, who's ears were red with embarrassment.

Their eyes locked for only a second… and, shit, Eren had an erection. His hands fumbled as he attempted to cover it with his book. Levi knew exactly what was happening and cracked a smile.

"Levi? Smiling?" Petra asked the apathetic boy, who looked more like a man, standing next to her. Levi bit his lip and wiped the emotions from his face, suddenly self-conscious. And with that, he ushered his friends away from Eren. "He's cute, huh?" the girl exclaimed from down the hall. 

Too bad the sophomore couldn't hear Levi respond, "Yeah. I call him."

Eren stood there for a long time, until the bell rang and he realized he was tardy for his final class. He was so hung up on Levi's smile he hadn't noticed everyone file out of the hallways.

After the school day, Eren found himself stretching besides his teammates, absentmindedly watching the crowd. His dad never came to meets, because he was always in surgery or researching new drugs. But he knew people like Marco and Ymir would always be cheering from the stands. 

What he didn’t realize is that the girl who had bumped into him was finding seats as well. Of course, he only noticed it when Levi had popped up behind her. 

He was wearing his windbreaker, and it consumed his small body. The very few clothes Levi could buy, he’d always bought a size up, hoping he’d grow into them one day. He was standing, rocking back and forth on his feet, while his small group of friends sat on the metal benches. He seemed nervous, but Eren couldn’t tell for sure.

“Don’t mess up out there and ruin it for all of us,” Jean’s voice brought Eren’s eyes off the captivating sight of the junior. The team had somehow heard about the runner’s collapse that morning, and used it as an excuse to torment him.

“Oh, shut up, Jean. I’m still gonna win,” Eren replied, facing his teammate with a cold look in his eyes, but a cocky smile. Jean’s lips curled up as if accepting the challenge.

“Or maybe you won’t,” he said. Annie joined them and let out a chuckle, slapping her knee for effect. She wasn’t one to usually join the joking around between the rest of the team, but she did when she could tease someone. 

“Jean, don’t get your hopes up. You’ll never beat him,” she snickered. They group collectively giggled at the reddening Jean. Annie’s face was friendly until her eyebrows drew together in confusion. “I think someone’s looking for you, Eren.”

Eren turned around to follow the blue-eyed girl’s gaze. She was right, Levi was waving him down, knowing he couldn’t be on the track with the runners. The sophomore sighed, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach, and jogged over.

“What?” Eren barked, once he’d made it to the area where the bleachers met the track. It came out ruder than he had hoped. The junior who had beckoned him still had splotches of tan makeup over his face, and it made Eren wonder if he was hiding something.

“You can still skip out on the meet, right? Want to go somewhere?” Levi asked, trying to act aloof. His steely eyes didn’t show any signs of nerves, but in reality, he was anxious.

“Uh,” Had he really just asked him out? “I- I can’t. Sorry. I really need to race today.” 

Levi’s uninterested face dropped for a second, sorrow clouding his eyes. But he took a deep breath, and recovered from his break in character. “Oh, I get it. It’s cool,” he said, lowering his voice in some sort of attempt to sound like a tough guy. 

“Besides, I don’t want to show up at the masquerade tomorrow feeling like I wimped out,” Eren chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. His fingers played with his hair for a second, trying to relax himself.

“Oh, I forgot about the dance. Have fun at that,” Levi mumbled, turning to go. He felt tears pricking in the corners of his eyes and didn’t want Eren to see him crying.

Eren’s hand shot out on instinct, grabbing Levi’s shoulder in an effort to stop him. Of course it was his bad shoulder, which still hurt.

“Ah, shit. Let go,” Levi tore from his grasp, feeling droplets roll down his cheeks. He rubbed the painful spot before stomping off to say goodbye to his friends.

“Wait, Levi!” Eren called after him, but Jean interrupted with snort.

“Stop breaking boy’s hearts. It’s time to race, Jeager,” he said, gesturing back to the track. 

Eren sighed, his insides twisting in fear. He never got anxious before races, because he knew he’d always win, but that encounter spawned nerves he’d never experienced before. He really wanted to ask Levi to go to the masquerade with him, but it was obviously too late for that. Besides, it was tomorrow, and the junior never seemed like one to go to school events. Maybe he would have declined.

 

///

 

Levi stood outside his house, his hand hovering over the front door’s handle. He hadn’t realized how much he’d been crying on the walk home, so he quickly wiped away the warm tears with his sleeve. With a sudden burst of strength, he pulled the door open and stepped inside.

The house was eerily quiet, so Levi made a mad dash for the stairs. He was about to close the door of his room when a foot found it’s way between the crack. The high schooler used both his hands to try to shove the opening closed, but Kenny was stronger. He forced the door open, throwing Levi backwards and onto his mattress. The junior was in a position of vulnerability as he scrambled to get upright. 

“I figured it out,” his uncle said, his throat releasing a strangled laugh. “You’re a fag.” 

Kenny towered over his nephew, brows furrowed in anger. Instead of just punches, he came at him with kicks and slaps and anything to inflict damage. It shocked Levi, because even his uncle had some sort of limit. This was worst he’d ever seen him. He was probably barely wasted, but hatred was fueling him as well as alcohol.

“You goddamn worthless brat. I didn’t raise a fuckin’ homo,” he hissed, long nails digging into Levi’s arms. Kenny’s fist connected with his nephew’s jaw, making a sickening sound. “You defective queer.”

His insults usually didn’t phase Levi, since he had learned to ignore them, but combined with some of the most powerful strikes he’d ever felt, he let out a scream. “Stop!” he cried out, trying to fight back. He kept wailing, praying a neighbor would hear and somehow save him. 

Kenny’s sweaty hand covered Levi’s mouth, almost suffocating him. He tried to bite at it, or scream loud enough to make up for the obstruction, but it didn’t work. The high schooler’s energy eventually ran out, and his lungs only allowed shrieks of pain when his uncle hit an already bruised spot. He stopped fighting back, letting his body go limp.

“It’s true, ain’t it? You’re _gay_ ,” Kenny shouted, drool finding it’s way down his chin. His eyes were alight with abhorrence, the desire to cause harm somewhere among the flames. Levi had never feared his uncle more than in that moment. He bared his teeth like an animal, and knocked a fist over his nephew’s head.

Levi’s vision went spotty, and the noises of skin meeting skin became warped. He fought to stay conscious, but his mind was struggling. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Kenny’s perverted grin, and his own blood on his fists.

“Levi, dammit. I’m so sorry,” Levi found himself sitting down in a white room, Kenny standing over him. The high schooler had never heard his uncle use that tone of voice. “I didn’t mean to. Oh, God, I didn’t mean it,” Kenny began crying, slumping over to the floor, staring at his fists in sorrow. 

Levi tried to say something in response, but his throat was caught. He wasn’t breathing. He _couldn’t_ breathe. He looked down, and the scenery changed. His uncle had his frail body levitating using only one hand. And that fist was tight around his throat. 

The landscape around him was beautiful, contrasting with the situation he was in. There was a sparkling river, reflecting the light of the sun, which beat down warm rays. They were in a field of tall grass, a few trees dotting the prairie. Levi couldn’t look for long, because it changed as quickly as it had appeared.

The junior gasped for air, once he found himself free of Kenny’s grip. He let his lungs fill with oxygen, savoring the coolness. He leaned backwards, laying down on the wooden floor. It was comfortable, despite being hard and cold. He liked this scene the best. It was quiet and refreshing, and no one else was-- 

“Oh my God. What happened? Fuck. Hang on, Levi, I’ll call someone. Can you hear me? Levi? _Levi_?” It was Eren’s voice, and it wavered in fear. Or maybe it wavered because Levi still wasn’t fully awake. Either way, it was soothing and made Levi forget the swelling pain that he suddenly felt everywhere on his body. 

“Hello? Um, my name is Eren Jeager. I found someone-- well yes, of course. Uh, so, he’s unresponsive. The address? Oh, fuck. I don’t know the address. Should I go outside and check? No? Okay. Stay with him? Sure, well I--,” Levi reached out and touched Eren’s hand, without opening his eyes. “Oh, Levi. Thank God. He just moved. Can we get an ambulance? He’s covered in bruises and blood. No, fuck no! I didn’t hit him. I just found him like this. Yes, I’m being honest. Listen, lady...”

Eren kept fighting with the woman until Levi could hear sirens. “Kenny’s gonna kill me. Why’d you have to call them, Eren?” he whispered, his voice hoarse, as he tightened his grasp on the sophomore’s hand.

“Just shut up, we’re gonna help you,” Eren responded, squeezing the cold fingers that were resting in his palm. He hung up with the woman on the phone.

“Where’s my uncle?” Levi asked, his jaw aching as he spoke.

“Uh, about that. I just let myself in, since no one answered and the door was unlocked,” Eren told him, as some shouting echoed from the first floor. The paramedics had arrived. “We’re up here!” the sophomore cried.

Levi finally opened his eyes, surprised to see Eren in a dress. The dark turquoise of the gown matched his eyes perfectly, and the junior was sure it was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. Eren’s masquerade mask hung loosely around his neck, bobbing as the boy got up and let go of Levi’s hand to allow the strange men to grab him.

Every bone in his being was in some sort of discomfort as they lifted him onto a gurney. Eren’s fingers brushed his lower lip in worry, watching as they wheeled Levi out the tiny bedroom. The boy followed him down the stairs and to the ambulance, tripping over his dress a few times. Levi could now see Eren’s heels in his hands, the shoes were a sparkling silver like the lining on his mask.

“You can come with us in the ambulance, if you’d--,”

“Yes! Yes, please,” Eren stepped into the vehicle, his whole body shaking in fear. He sat next to the men, who were speaking in strictly medical terms. His hand reached for Levi’s but one of the medics asked him to move aside. He timidly complied. They set up an IV, checking his vitals with various pieces of equipment.

Eren sat helplessly in one of the chairs, his body swaying as the ambulance turned sharply. His hands were folded in his lap, his nails digging into skin.

“There’s some serious head trauma. We’re lucky he’s responsive right now,” one of the paramedics said, shining a flashlight in Levi’s gray eyes. 

“Will he be okay?” Eren demanded, his mouth hanging open with the news.

“Sure, once we get him to the hospital. You his girlfriend?” 

“Er, not exactly,” Eren blushed, staring down at his embarrassing masquerade outfit. 

“Yes,” Levi groaned, flashing a little smile despite his pain. That single word silenced Eren, so he sat, with wide eyes, petrified. He ignored the heat that found it’s way to the tips of his ears and waited to reach the hospital quietly.


	4. Dress Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where levi's pov is basically just an extension of eren's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the SUPEr long wait for just a shit chapter (I had some bad writer's block)  
> some of it's really rushed and then other parts are really slow so IM SORRY  
> btw, levi's pov is obviously ahead in the storyline, just so you aren't confused

Coach Erwin gave Eren a smack on the back, after the race was complete, and the star athlete had finished a whole minute before the competitor in second place. 

“Good job, Jeager. I still can’t believe you’re not doping,” the coach said, somewhat preoccupied by Jean’s excited screams. He had beat a personal record and was celebrating by high-fiving Connie and the other runners. 

“Yeah, uh, thanks, Coach Smith.” 

Eren hightailed out of the meet as soon as he could, not bothering to cheer on the girl’s mile. He wanted to see Levi and ask him to the dance, to make up for the missed opportunity. He felt tense, the nerves from talking to the junior earlier still in his stomach. 

He ran up to Petra, who was sitting in the bleachers with a few other friends. He didn’t bother with small talk, and just flat out asked her where Levi lived. She gladly gave him an address and best wishes. 

He followed the GPS system on his phone to the junior’s house, after changing into jeans and a sweatshirt. The air was cold enough that, in contrast to Eren’s warm breath, it made small clouds before drifting away in the breeze.

Eren finally made it to the shitty side of town, as his anxiety got progressively worse. He didn’t know what to expect, but he at least thought Levi would live somewhere decent. But this wasn’t decent to the sophomore, who lived in a nice house with a loving family. Maybe he should have predicted someone who looks and acts like Levi would live somewhere like here. 

He finally found the house with the address Petra had given him. “It’s small ranch house with a dirty white door and brick siding,” she had said, her description perfectly matching the residence in front of him. 

Eren inhaled deeply before walking up the short pathway that led to the house. Surprisingly, all his nervousness went away as he pounded a fist on the front door. He heard some rattling and shuffling through the thin piece of wood that passed for a door. 

“Who the fuck is that? Jesus, just leave the mail at the stoop,” someone shouted in a scratchy voice. Without seeing the person, Eren was already terrified. But his stupid mouth decided to respond before his brain could tell him otherwise.

“Um, I’m here to see Levi Ackerman. He lives here, right?” 

“Shit, I’m comin’. God-mother-fucking-all-mighty.”

Eren swallowed hard on the bile that had risen to the back of his throat. His fingers laced together in apprehension, as more sounds of struggle came from within the dark house.

“What the fuck do you want?” the disheveled man opened the door with serious force, trying to cover a look of guilt with a facade of apathy. His knuckles were covered in a dried red residue, his face wet in an attempt to wash off Levi’s blood. He had his wrists wrapped in bandages, because some of the punches had injured him.

“Uh, does Levi live here?” Eren asked, his eyes blinking slowly as he took in the sight in front of him. Behind the man was an unkempt hallway, with stairs at the end of it. Clothes were strewn across the floor, and luggage bags were resting on the steps.

“Who? No, he doesn’t. Sorry kid,” the scary man huffed, trying to shoo off Eren. The sophomore tilted his head in confusion. He was so sure this was the house. Maybe Petra had given him the wrong address or description. 

He nodded gently, as the man closed the door in his face. He peered after him in the tiny window to his left, trying to discern whether he was lying or not. The man ran his hands through his sweaty hair and paced, mumbling something crazy. Coming to the conclusion he was just insane, and this was definitely the wrong house, Eren pivoted and began to walk away.

Eren yelped when he stepped on something hard and sharp. He looked down when he heard a crunching sound. Something was piercing the rubber sole of his gym shoes. 

"The fuck?" he murmured, lifting his foot and revealing a mess of glass shards and tan liquid. "Ew, what is this?" 

It eventually hit him. It was makeup. The same shade as the stuff Levi had smeared all over his face. And to cover _what?_ Eren was getting suspicious.

He bent over, using his fingers to pick out the shattered pieces from his shoe. After being done with that task, he swept them into the grass with his other foot, so no one else would hurt themselves.

The sophomore turned back to face the house, searching for any other signs. 

 _Maybe I shouldn't get involved. I'm sure Levi's fine. This could all be a misunderstanding,_ Eren thought to himself, biting the inside of his cheek gently. 

He didn't like this one bit, but he also didn't want to make it worse. Thankfully, a text broke him out of his indecisive state.

 _Mom wants you home rn, Eren. She just got an email from the school about the dance and is pretty upset you didn't tell her,_ Mikasa, his younger sister, had texted him. 

His phone buzzed again.

 _Hurry home, Eren. We need to go suit shopping!_ the text read. He had completely forgotten about what he was going to wear at the masquerade. He stomach fell, a nervous feeling bottoming in it. The sophomore had had an idea to wear a dress to the ball, and keep his identity hidden with the mask.

As he looked back at Levi’s house, he knew that today had to be the day. He’d come out recently to his close friends, like Marco and Annie, but he had yet to tell his family. He was most scared for their reaction. Especially Mikasa, who had always looked up to him. 

But, after his obvious favoring of his upperclassman, and his plan to wear a dress, something in his gut screamed it was time. So, with a newfound rush in his steps, he made his way home from the junior’s house, forgetting his earlier internal conflict of saving him.

~

Mikasa was overjoyed at Eren’s idea to buy a dress instead of a suit, much to the boy’s shock. His mother didn’t seem to mind either, she just gave him a weary smile and loving look. Maybe she knows.

When they had arrived at the shop, Eren took tentative steps forward. His little sister had finally calmed down, and silently ogled the dresses in the window. 

“You realize...” his voice trailed off and his eyes met with the concrete of the sidewalk. “You realize I’m gay, right?” 

His mother, Carla, who was walking in front of him, let just her head turn to stare back at him. “Oh, honey,” she sighed, “we knew all along.”

Mikasa pressed her lips together like she was keeping in laughter, while she looked back at the scene Eren had just caused. Both his family members had soft, caring eyes as they glanced over him- who was a nervous wreck. 

He let a hand find it’s way to his chest, hovering over his heart. He squeezed a fistful of his sweater, then marched after his mother, and into the store. 

As he sifted through hanger after hanger of bedazzled cupcake dresses, Eren sighed. They thought this shop would have good options. 

It was a long while of looking through slutty dresses until Mikasa let out a gasp and, shortly after, a squeal. The boy headed towards the rack she’d been searching and stared at the beautiful gown she was holding up to herself. 

“Eren, it’s perfect!” she exclaimed, pushing the hanger against his collarbone to model it on him. 

It was a similar color to his eyes; a gentle turquoise. The dress was a modest style that fell past the wearer’s ankles and had sleeves on both shoulders. Eren was impressed.

His mom had found her way over to her children, and her eyes were already watering. 

“Oh, Eren, it’s beautiful,” she murmured, cupping her face in her hands and grinning madly. “How much is it? If you love it as much as I do, that doesn’t really matter, though.”

Eren smiled at his mom’s generosity and looked at the tag apprehensively. It was thankfully only $235. He was grateful it wasn’t as expensive as the bejeweled dresses he had been looking at. His mom peeked over his shoulder and gave a sharp nod. 

“Good. Now you should try it on.”

///

Levi felt sick. He could still taste blood in his mouth, and his hand clutched his lower abdomen in pain. He knew Eren had to go call his parents, but Levi selfishly wanted him by his side. 

His hospital bed was fully reclined, so his body lay flat, his gaze directed at the ceiling. It was boring, but Levi ignored the aches and loneliness by counting the tiles. 

He had morphine in his veins and wires attached to his skin. A monitor to his left was displaying his heartbeats, and beeps accompanied it, like a metronome. His hands were in fists, anticipating the moment Kenny walked through the door in front of him.

As if on cue, the handle dipped down, indicating someone was walking in. Levi shut his eyes tightly, breaking out into a light sweat. Kenny was going to kill him this time, for sure. 

Instead, the junior was greeted with the sight of a doctor, a worried Eren close behind. The man in scrubs held the door open, as Eren bolted to Levi’s side.

“Oh, my gosh. I’m so sor- I had to- I’m so sorry. Are you feeling any better?” 

Levi grunted as a response, turning his head slightly to look into Eren’s scared eyes. They were wide, his eyebrows raised in question and his pupils tiny. He looked like a deer in headlights, and if that look on his face wasn’t cute enough, he had to keep apologizing for doing nothing wrong.

“The morphine seems to be doing it’s job. I’ll have a nurse in here soon to check on the dosage and see if he needs more,” the doctor said, giving a faint bow before exiting and closing the door. 

“Levi, they only found a single relative’s number in your file. And h-he didn’t pick up...” Eren trailed off. He finally looked away from Levi, fixating his eyes on the wall. The sophomore was standing next to him, hands tightly gripping the bars that were used to push the mobile bed. He seemed pained. “I overheard some of the nurses... t-they said you’ve been here before. For stitches and small injuries. Y-you never told anyone you were being abused.

“Dammit. You should have told s-someone. They’re sending officers to your house, now. They think your uncle booked it. F-fuck, Levi.”

Levi opened his mouth, hoping to say something to reassure Eren, but now the boy was looking up to the sky, like he was trying to fend off tears. He put one hand up, as a signal to shut up, like he knew the junior was going to say something.

“No, you stay quiet. This is m-my fault. If I’d just... shit. Fuck,” Eren’s sentence turned into a string of stammered curse words, before he finally regained himself and looked back down. “If I had just forced my way inside, they could have arrested him by now. It’s a-all my fault.”

Levi’s mouth was still minimally ajar, as he gaped at the boy standing beside him. “You knew? Wait. When did you...?” He was extremely confused. 

“The day of the meet. I-I went to your house, courtesy of Petra’s directions, and he told me you didn’t live there--,”

“Then it’s not your fault.”

“Levi, his hands were bloody. You were probably on your floor by that point, and I could have helped you. But, I--,”

“Eren, Jesus Christ. This isn’t your fault. None of this is. You helped me in the end, that’s all that matters-- Ah, fuck!” Levi explained, before being cut off by a sharp pain in his stomach. 

“Levi? Are you okay?” Eren quickly wiped away a few of the droplets that had spilled from his eyes before examining the junior.

“Ha- shit- ahh. No, I’m- ah- not,” he said, gritting his teeth and readjusting his body in an attempt to dull the pain. Eren scrambled for the remote on the bed, and pressed the button that notified the nurses station. In seconds, an older woman appeared in the doorway.

“Mr. Ackerman? Are you all right?” she asked, dropping a clipboard at the end of the bed and lightly pushing Eren out of the way. “Where is the pain?” 

Levi groaned and placed a hand delicately over his lower abdomen, as the nurse fiddled with some equipment.

“What would you rate it on a scale of one to ten?”

Levi sucked in a breath, puckering his lips. “Seven, maybe eight,” he exhaled. The woman gently pressed into the area with the heel of her hand, watching the patient’s facial expressions. “Possibly nine.”

Eren was biting his nails, standing near the wall. He didn’t know what to do. He should be home by now, it was very late. At least tomorrow was Sunday and he called his mother to tell her what had happened. Though she was very disappointed in Eren for associating with such a “punk”, Mrs. Jeager understood and promised to pick him up whenever he was ready.

“Mom, it’s already one in the morning,” he had said.

“Yes, but I don’t believe you’re allowed to stay the night. I will stay up. Just call me for a ride.”

“No, go to bed. I’ll sleep here.”

“Eren,” she warned, her voice condescending. He had heard this many times before, but he pressed further, eventually getting her to comply. “Just know that I will be awake. Your father is getting home late anyways, so I’ll be up. Call me if you need me.”

“Thanks, mom. I appreciate it,” he said, holding the receiver close to his mouth, noticing the stares of the nurses burning into him. He could hear her let out a breathy chuckle, and imagined her smiling before they said their goodbyes.

He was snapped from his memories when he found a new nurse was shoving a clipboard in his face. He looked around, noticing that Levi had blanched extremely, considering his already pale tone. He noticed lots of different nurses, and even recognized the doctor from earlier. They were all rushing around, while the patient grunted in pain, writing under the thin blankets. 

Eren attempted to push past the nurse, who was terribly invading his space, but failed. He kept glancing over the scrubbed shoulder to check on Levi, drowning out the sounds of barked commands and chiming machines.

“So, if you understand, sir, we need you to sign this,” the nurse drawled, a sort of bored glaze over his eyes.

“Wait, huh?” Eren questioned, realizing he’d also blocked out the information this man was spouting over the commotion. 

“Since Mr. Ackerman has no legal guardian here, and we need consent for the surgery, you will have to sub in. You seem to be his only visitor, and even though you’re under legal age, we need someone’s signature. Sign where the marks are and he will undergo the procedure.”  
 “What procedure? What’s going on?” Eren demanded, trying to side-step the man to see Levi.

The nurse sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. “Sir, do you understand that Mr. Ackerman will die without this surgery?”

That got the sophomore’s attention. 

“During whatever fight he was in, his appendix was compromised and eventually burst. We need to remove it right away before it becomes fatal. Please sign and we will operate to the best of our ability,” the nurse explained, thrusting the clipboard further into Eren’s chest.

The boy grabbed the pen with little hesitation, and signed in the three marked spaces. He thought Levi already went through the worst of it. Boy, was he wrong. 

The nurse clicked his tongue, turned, and signaled the okay to the doctor. The three other woman nurses began to surround Levi, unlocking his bed’s wheels and pushing him forward.

“Wait, Levi!” Eren called, jogging to chase after them. “Please fight through this too!”

He had no idea if the junior heard what he had just said, but he hoped he had. Levi had already gone through so much, and this was just the cherry on top. Eren stumbled backwards, and fell into a visitor’s chair. He rested his elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands. 

“Shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading this disaster


	5. Hospital Trips and Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the babes get a little closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's super short and crappy, but I needed to post something for ereri week  
> enjoy, leave kudos and a comment if you liked it! it makes my day!  
> (btw...WE HIT OVER 50 KUDOS AND THATS AMAZING THANK YOUU)

The dance wasn’t much of a success. Only Eren’s friends had recognized him in his dress, and they had nothing nice to say. 

_I really shouldn’t call them my friends, then,_ Eren thought, as he stumbled through the crowd, fighting to get outside. 

His eyes were stinging, no doubt red with incoming tears, and his lungs were dying for cool air. The gym was stuffy and hot, a mess of mingling bodies, dancing a little too close together. 

Jean’s comments in no way helped the uncomfortable situation Eren had found himself in. Catcalls and rude remarks were just a few of things the fellow sophomore had been doing all night to get on Eren’s nerves.

Eventually, he had excused himself, and found his way outside. Once he was out the doors, he fought for his breath back. His lungs heaved for air, ignoring the need for a steady rhythm. Instead, Eren sounded like a beached animal having a panic attack. 

The music coming from the gym was just muffled bass now, and the sophomore was appreciative. He placed one hand on the brick wall and let his head drop, staring intensely at the ground. He crouched and tried to even his panting, which were practically uncontrollable hiccups now. 

On top of the hysteria, the burning guilt in the back of his mind for not bringing Levi wasn’t going away. He’d have to go find him.

If he wasn’t with Petra at the dance, which Eren had spied out, then something bad had happened, right? He couldn’t possibly this introverted, _right_?

Eren pulled off his disguise, and let the ribbon fall around his neck, gently dangling the mask. He took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose, and his harsh breaths began to slow. 

He looked around, hoping no one had just seen him freak out. There was a guy making a move on a seemingly drunk girl to his right. No doubt they had been drinking the spiked punch. To his left was- oh, shit. Reiner was standing on the other side of the double doors, his arms crossed. He was squinting at Eren, who finally had gotten up from his crouched position.

“You okay?” he asked, leaning against the brick wall. Maybe it was too dark and the big blonde didn’t realize it was Eren who had almost thrown up on the pavement.

The green eyed boy covered his face with his mask once more. Eren didn’t want to talk; he had to see Levi. So he waved off the question, hoping Reiner would take it as a yes, and moved towards the field. 

“Whoa, no you don’t, missy.”

Reiner’s strides were much longer than Eren’s, and he quickly caught up with him. He grabbed the smaller boy’s wrist and tugged him backwards. He fell into the brawny chest, face first. 

“Come with me,” Reiner said, his voice commanding. Eren wanted to protest, tell him he had to go, but the blonde thought he was a girl, and surprising him by letting him know he was very much male would probably make the situation worse.

Reiner dragged Eren with ease, leading him back to the wall, further from the exit’s doors. He wasted no time to pin Eren against the bricks, restraining him by his wrists. 

“You’re feeling better, right?” Eren nodded, hoping that meant the blonde would let him go. “Good. I need to get some things off my mind.”

Reiner dipped his head to meet Eren’s height, and dove in for a kiss. Eren let out a squeal, surprised and quite scared. Reiner had no idea who he was kissing. 

“C’mon, baby. Just calm down,” he cooed, though his voice would never be soft enough to calm Eren down. The brunette struggled, his heart racing.

When Reiner’s hand let go of one of Eren’s, and snaked down to grope his chest, the boy knew he had to do something.  
 “Reiner, stop!” Eren blurted out, kneeing his crotch, surprised with how good his aim was. The blonde winced, and pulled back. 

“E-Eren?” his features filled with realization, his eyebrows shooting up, and his mouth dropping open. “Oh, _fuck_. This is the exactly what I wanted my mind off of.”

“Let me go, or I swear to god I will-,” Reiner’s hands dropped, leaving Eren’s wrist stinging, and his sentence without a real threat.

“Bro, I’m sorry. I swear, I’m not gay.”

“Whatever,” Eren ducked under him and ran for the turf, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible. He needed to find Levi. 

///

Eren didn’t dare leave the hospital while Levi was in surgery. But, he did manage to find time to sleep. 

When he woke up, he was curled into an awkward position in the chair. The hospital bed was finally back, and the green eyed boy was overjoyed to see Levi’s chest rising gently every so often under the blankets. 

He sighed deeply, using the heel of his palm to rub the sleep from his eyes. 

Eren couldn’t tell if he was falling in love with the other boy or if he was just so glad to see him alive, because his chest was filled with an incredible warmth as he watched him breathe. Levi’s hair, usually groomed neatly and parted in the middle, was tangled and pushed mostly on one side of his head. 

“Damn. Why am I falling for such an idiot like you? You can barely keep yourself out of trouble. I mean, look at you,” he whispered, his lips trembling with an overwhelming emotion. He pressed them together to calm himself down. 

“You really should keep your internal monologue _internal_ , brat,” Levi hissed. The sophomore almost fell out of his chair at the surprise. 

“I-I, um, I didn’t realize you were awake, Levi.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” he turned to face the brunette, wincing as his recently-operated side met with the bed. He looked deathly pale as he surveyed Eren. “You stayed here overnight?”

“Mhm,” Eren responded, trying to look away so he didn’t have to stare into the steely eyes before him. He yawned and repositioned himself in the chair.

“You realize we don’t even know each other, right? Like what the fuck?” Levi’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. 

“What? You wanted to be left alone?” Eren sat up straight, and pursed his lips, somewhat offended. Levi should be thanking him, not questioning why he’d do something nice.

“It’s just really weird that you’d stay with me-” 

“Oh, okay. I’ll leave you with your non-existent family then, huh? Asshole.” 

Eren stood up, the chair squeaking with the sudden movement. He stomped towards the door, knowing he was overreacting, but not wanting to back down to this ungrateful junior.

“Wait- I didn’t mean it like that. I was just confus-,” Levi began, before being cut off by the door slamming closed. “Well fuck you, man!” 

He huffed, turning back to face the ceiling. 

“No way. I’d never love him back. Fuck that brat and his perfect face. Falling in love with me so quickly, psh. He’s got to be desperate. Popping a boner from just seeing me in the hall? What an immature ass-!”

“Mr. Ackerman? Are you awake? Your guest just left, so is okay for me to take your vitals?” 

Levi’s eyes went wide, hoping the nurse didn’t hear him talking to himself. He nodded, and she came in. She didn't look like she'd heard him curse to himself.

“You feeling well? Good, that’s good. Listen, I know it’s totally not my place as a nurse, but you guys seem to be fighting. What’s the problem?” she asked, while getting some equipment out. 

Levi would have usually told this nurse to fuck off, or not responded, but something urged him to talk. Maybe Eren was rubbing off on him.

“Who knows. I was just asking him a question and he got all sensitive,” he told her, giving her his arm. She wrapped the sphygmomanometer around him.

“Are you sure your question wasn’t rude? You guys seem like such good friends, it would be bad if you fought over something silly.”

Levi almost snorted, Eren didn’t see them as _friends_ , that’s for sure. This woman was far too old and sweet to understand that, though.

She fiddled with the gauge, pressed two fingers to Levi’s upturned wrist, and squeezed the hand pump. The high schooler didn’t know what to say, but the nurse seemed very interested. She looked at him expectantly. 

“Well, I didn’t think it was, personally.”

She almost let out a laugh, but she bit her lip to hold it back. “I’m sure _he_ thought it was, dear. How about this? Why don’t you apologize the second he walks back through that door? That’s a good plan, eh?”

“I guess,” Levi muttered. The nurse smiled, and cleaned up her gear. 

“I hope you two work it out.”

~

Eren accepted Levi’s apology and then apologized himself for freaking out. He came in everyday after cross country practice for the next week, bringing the junior his homework and daily gossip.

They didn’t talk about Eren’s confession, instead chose to ignore it completely. Both parties were very thankful for that. 

“Oh! And Petra said she might be dating this guy soon. Olou...A-Arou? I don’t remember his name, but it was kinda stupid if you ask me.”

“Yeah, I think I know him,” Levi said, drumming his pencil against his binder. He wouldn’t admit it, but he could only do his homework once Eren left. The younger boy was too much of a distraction.

“Yemph, I’mmh pwerty su-,” Eren was talking around the last bite of a granola bar from the vending machine outside. 

“Don’t talk with you mouth full, idiot,” the junior scolded, thinking of depressing things just to keep a straight face. The brown-haired boy was too cute for his own good.

Eren was cross-legged on the end of the hospital bed, leaning his back against the bars. He was wearing normal clothes- a long-sleeved shirt and jeans- but was still sweaty from practice. 

He ran a hand through his hair before turning to spot out the trash can. He called out to Levi, not realizing the junior was already watching him, claiming that he could make the shot. He poised his hands, like he was about to make a free-throw, before flicking his wrist and letting the snack’s wrapper fly across the room. 

“Yes! Did you see that? I told you!” Eren exclaimed, a toothy smile spreading across his face. The crumpled ball had just barely landed in the trash. Levi let out a chuckle.

“I saw, I saw. Calm down,” he responded, not surprised by the burst of energy. Eren’s emotions were wild, and he had already gotten used to the outbursts and mood swings in the short amount of time they had known each other.

He watched as Eren did a quick victory dance, before going back to his homework. 

Their routine was the only thing Levi looked forward to anymore, besides dinner with the few friends he’d made in the hospital cafeteria. He thought Erd and Gunther were nice, but they could never compare to the time spent with Eren.

If Levi had to say he looked forward to anything else, it would have to be finding Kenny. Though he was still terrified of the man, and what he could do, he needed the closure that his uncle was in prison.

“Hey, Levi?” Eren asked, not even looking up from his math worksheet.

“Yes?”

“I talked to my mom about it, and she said you could stay at our house when you get discharged in two days. We have a guest room and I know it’d be unsafe for you to stay in your old house. Y’know, if your uncle did come ba-”

“That would be asking for too much. Your family’s already paying for my medical bills. I’m sure the police can find me a foster home or something,” Levi looked down because Eren’s expression seemed to fall into sadness. He scribbled on the inside of his binder. 

“No, I’m not letting you stay with some random family-,” Levi’s eyes flicked upwards, and his mouth opened to cut the sophomore off. “Let me finish, Levi. Their cleaning skills won’t be up to your standard. Just stay with me.”

Levi internally cursed, scolding himself for letting Eren use his weakness against him. 

“Fine. Your house better be spotless.”


	6. Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> is Eren hiding something from Levi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! all those nice comments really made my day, so I decided to post another chapter! enjoy and don't forget to subscribe to see when I update!  
> disclaimer: more needle stuff in Eren's POV

Eren barely realized a week had flow by since Levi had rescued him from his fall on the track. That also meant he needed a new shot from his dad. That part he didn’t think of until he was rudely awoken by the man himself.

“Sh,” his dad was hissing quietly as he opened Eren’s bedroom door. The boy blinked groggily a few times, watching the hall light slowly fill his room. 

His door stopped moving suddenly, a face with glasses perched on a straight nose peeking in. Eren sighed, accepting the situation, rolling up his sleeve and extending his arm. 

His dad walked silently in, sitting on the side of Eren’s bed. “I’m so glad this is helping you. This year you’ll get into state, I’m sure of it. Not even the seniors can outrun you.”

The man looked tired and unwashed from his long day at the lab, but his face was aglow with pride. He grabbed Eren’s arm with more strength than necessary, and tied a tourniquet tight around his upper arm.

“Dad,” Eren started, biting his lip in regret right after the word came out. He turned his head away, shoving his cheek into the pillow beneath him.

“Yes?” 

Eren hadn’t expected him to even answer, instead he thought he’d ignore him, just like he’d done when he first started, and Eren would kick and yell. The boy looked back at the man in front of him.

“I- uh. I really don’t think this is right. It’s not needed, since I don’t wanna run anym-,” Eren almost yelped when the flat palm of his father struck his cheek. 

“Don’t you ever say that!” he said, very loud at first, but then correcting himself with a much quieter tone, “Don’t you _ever_ say that again.”

He jabbed the needle into the fold of Eren’s arm, making him squirm in discomfort. After he was done injecting the serum, he roughly undid the tie around his arm, Eren grimacing in pain. 

He then left without a word, his light footsteps padding back to his own bedroom. 

_Next time,_ Eren thought, _I’ll tell him what I really think._

~

It was bruised like hell. The crook in his arm hurt when he bent his elbow, dark blue blossoming around the tiny prick of a needle. 

Eren knew that it was hot outside today. Of all days, it was a balmy fall day, and he knew that girls would be taking the opportunity to wear dresses, and all the guys would be in shorts and short-sleeves. He sighed as he held a long-sleeved shirt up to his shoulders, looking at himself in the body mirror in his room.

“Eren, you’re running late! I made you some eggs!” his mom called from kitchen, her statement backed up by the time on his phone and a buttery smell wafting through the house.

“I’m hurrying,” he mumbled, mostly to himself. He threw on the shirt anyway, knowing he had to hide the mark, and making sure to pair it with some old floral shorts. At least those would make him look like he had gotten the weather memo.

He grabbed the homework he’d finished with Levi and shoved it into his backpack, all the while running downstairs. 

“Honey, can you pass the salt over here?” 

Eren stopped in the kitchen’s doorway to stare at his father’s back. He rarely had breakfast here- let alone sit down at the table to eat. He didn’t want to interact with him, so, before his mom noticed, he turned around for the door.

“Bye!” he shouted over his shoulder, rushing out the door. He ignored the growling of his stomach, just hoping he could make it to his fifth period lunch.

 _You didn’t eat! Don’t pass out in class, okay? Also, we need to clean up the guest room when you get back from the hospital. Levi's getting discharged tomorrow! Have a good day at school._

He sighed after reading the text from his mom, shutting off his phone to keep himself from getting distracted. There was a deep rage building within him, and he didn’t know if he could survive the day at school.

 _Make it through the day means seeing Levi,_ he told himself. _Just make it through the day, make it through the day, make it through the day, make it through..._

 

///

 

Levi folded the magazine closed when he heard three light knocks on the door. He was lucky that Eren, like his very own angel, visited him so often.

"Hey," Eren said quietly, dragging his feet as he walked in.

"Whoa. Someone's in a mood and it’s not me, for once." 

Eren looked up suddenly, as he neared the foot of the bed. His tanned face was sporting a big bruise, right on his cheekbone.

"Who did that?" Levi felt his chest swell with protectiveness, and his scowl deepen in anger. Eren had enough on his plate; taking care of the junior as well as his own schoolwork and extracurricular. Whoever was picking fights with him should come to Levi first- even in his terrible state.

"Er- well, it's actually my fault. I threw the first punch," Eren forced out a light laugh, as he rubbed the back of his neck and rocked on his feet. 

"Oh my- Eren, what did you do? Who was it?"

"Calm down, dude. It's fine. Jean was talking shit at practice. I thought he deserved an ass-whooping," he explained, finally relaxing and sitting on the edge of the bed. He set down a stack of papers, most likely more of Levi's missed work.

"Nothing Jean talks about is worth getting into a fight over. What'd he say?"

Eren clenched his teeth, and Levi could see his adam's apple bob with a nervous gulp.

"He- um. He said some really rude stuff about someone. Uh, it's no big deal though."

"Obviously it is, you fucking punched him and he punched back. That's gotta be some serious stuff. Just tell me, Eren," Levi sighed heavily at the end of his sentence, furrowing his brow and squinting slightly in curiosity. 

"He called you a... a f-faggot."

Eren's voice was weak, barely audible over the vents and chatter outside the room. But Levi still heard it. 

"Eren."

The sophomore closed one eye as if wincing, waiting for a scolding. Levi clicked his tongue to the back of his teeth. 

"Listen, Eren. Don't get yourself hurt on my behalf, all right?" He was generally concerned- and flattered- but his voice remained stoic. That changed quickly when he realized Eren needed to be cheered up. "Now, where else did he hurt you?"

Levi leaned over, ignoring some pain, and began to tickle Eren. His armpits were first, and it wasn't long until his dark aura became happy again. 

Eren was laughing madly, trying to fend off Levi's advances. This made both of them wondered how they had gotten so close in such a short amount of time.

They were in a mess of breathy giggles and playful batting when Levi rolled up Eren's sleeve, in search of a new sensitive spot.

"Eren? What is-?" Levi wasn't laughing anymore, and his hands stopped tickling the younger boy. He was deathly serious, like his own memories of abuse resurfaced from just the mark.

The sophomore slapped his hand down, covering the discolored section of his arm. He had completely forgotten about hiding it in the happy moment. 

"Eren, look at me. Do you do drugs-?"

"No," the boy almost shivered as he remembered the feeling of his dad's tourniquet tight around his arm. "Oh my _God_ , no."

"Then what's this-?"

Eren refused to let Levi finish his sentences, cutting him off with a weak excuse of, "Nothing, you don't have to worry. I'm okay, okay?"

Levi blinked slowly, staring into the shifty eyes before him. He came to an agreement with himself that he would pester Eren about it further some other time. Right now, he needed to save the mood.

"Now, get off my lap," he ordered, facetiously. 

Eren quietly did so, faking a smile in the process. Levi needed to figure out what was going on with the sophomore.


End file.
